Narisawa

Tokyo, Japan

No.18

Japanese Satoyama and wisdom of the ancestors from chef Yoshihiro Narisawa

Chef’s story: Yoshihiro Narisawa left home at 19 and spent eight years cutting his teeth in some of Europe’s most venerated kitchens, including those of Joël Robuchon and Paul Bocuse. In 1996, he returned home to Japan and opened La Napoule in Kanagawa Prefecture. Seven years later in 2003, he moved to his current venue in Tokyo’s non-touristy district of Minami Aoyama and formed Les Créations de Narisawa. When the restaurant celebrated its eighth anniversary, it was renamed Narisawa.

About the cooking: Narisawa has coined his own style of cuisine: Innovative Satoyama. Since Japanese cities are surrounded by forest and ocean, its people often live hand to hand with nature, taking only the most necessary resources for daily life from the earth.

What to expect on the plate: Almost all ingredients used at Narisawa are Japanese and the chef visits all the producers and liaises directly with them. The menu comprises sustainable ingredients that are faithful to the environment and the seasons, so a dinner at Narisawa is a journey in Japanese seasonality and culture.

And to drink: Narisawa is one of the best places in the world to appreciate the finest of Japanese winemaking, with Pinot Noir from Nagano, Riesling lion from Iwate, aged Bordeaux-style blends from Yamagata and beyond.